PRO BASKETBALL; It's a Done Deal: Exit Sprewell, Enter Van Horn

The Knicks traded their most popular player, Latrell Sprewell, to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night and obtained the often-maligned forward Keith Van Horn from the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-team, six-player deal.

The Sixers obtained an All-Star scorer, Glenn Robinson, from Atlanta, to complement guard Allen Iverson, something that Van Horn was not able to do last season.

The Timberwolves traded center Marc Jackson to the Sixers and unloaded guard Terrell Brandon, who will soon retire, on the Atlanta Hawks, who expect to receive salary-cap relief next season because Brandon most likely has a career-ending knee injury.

Kevin McHale, the Timberwolves' general manager, spoke to reporters in Minnesota about surrounding his team's best player, Kevin Garnett, with dynamic talent, but Scott Layden, the Knicks' general manager, spent a conference call defending his first trade since draft night in 2002.

As quickly as Layden welcomed Van Horn for his size and versatility, he dismissed Sprewell, the shooting guard who had played out of position at small forward and had led the Knicks to their surprising run to the N.B.A. finals in 1999.

Layden tried to trade Sprewell for two seasons after he clashed with management over tardiness and what team officials considered irresponsible behavior. Last season Sprewell's statistics declined.

Layden did not say Sprewell's off-court behavior prompted the trade. ''We don't rehash things; we deal with different subjects and we move on,'' he said. ''We genuinely thank Latrell for his contributions and we wish him well.''

Despite having traded the emotional heart of the team for an introverted player, one who has struggled under playoff pressure and become sensitive to booing, which grew louder from New Jersey to Philadelphia, Layden did not believe Van Horn would be worse for playing in the fishbowl that is Madison Square Garden.

Layden admitted to a longstanding interest in Van Horn, the No. 2 pick in 1997 out of Utah, who has been burdened by the expectations of a maximum salary, which he received when he played for the Nets.

''We just felt at this time that this was the right thing for the organization,'' Layden said, having been able to unload Sprewell's $13.5 million contract, which has two years remaining. Van Horn has three years and $43.5 million left and will make $13.3 next season. The Knicks will be his third team in three years. The Nets traded him last summer to the Sixers.

''We feel at this time it's a very good fit and it fits with Coach Chaney's system,'' Layden said.

At 6 feet 10 inches, Van Horn is a power forward who may have to play some small forward in the Knicks' crowded frontcourt. A 3-point threat, he has averaged 17.7 points and 7.5 rebounds in a six-year career.

Coach Don Chaney talked optimistically about Van Horn's offensive potential, dismissing his deficiencies on defense, where Van Horn will have to guard small forwards.

''I am not that concerned about the opinions,'' Chaney said. ''I think Keith is going to be a great New York Knickerbocker. He'll add size to our frontcourt, he'll give us a great deal of versatility and I think you'll see a much better player in the future for the Knicks.''

If the Knicks became more solid last night, the Timberwolves became more exciting, according to some league executives. They had just signed the free-agent center Michael Olowokandi and traded for Sam Cassell, seeming intent on surrounding Garnett with All-Star talent.

Orlando Magic General Manager John Gabriel said, ''I would say that clearly there are as many different motives as there are teams involved in this four-way deal, to clearing cap room, to changing faces, to the Timberwolves, who made the biggest gain in now being considered as one of the top four teams in the West.''

Two team officials said Sacramento jumped into the four-team fray yesterday, complicating and delaying the deal. Indiana and Portland had expressed interest in Brandon's contract, according to his agent, Bill Duffy.

But by evening, a separate deal with Sacramento was on the table, involving a sign-and-trade for center Brad Miller of Indiana.

The Knicks believed they upgraded their frontcourt, but they also acknowledged they got rid of a player who contributed to their success.

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Sprewell arrived in New York with the most tainted of reputations, having served a suspension for choking his coach in Golden State, P.J. Carlesimo. But he quickly found his place in the city by charming the news media and the fans.

Sprewell, though, often found himself at odds with management and team ownership for his tardiness and unreliability.

When his play slipped last season, the irksome details of his relationship with management seemed harder to justify for team officials.

Sprewell averaged 16.4 points last season, a 3-point drop from the previous season. But he ranked second on the team in scoring and third in assists, as well as serving as the only competent defender in the starting lineup.

Van Horn's defense has been a sticking point for his last two coaches. Layden talked of his strong points. ''The dynamic that Keith brings to the team is that he adds size, he adds rebounding, he can shoot with great range and has a great ability to go inside,'' Layden said.

Van Horn's college coach, Rick Majerus, had been talking to Van Horn about the possible trade this week. ''He likes New York; he's kind of an adopted New Yorker,'' Majerus said.

''I think Don Chaney has a good temperament for him as a coach. I think Chaney likes him, and that will be the first coach who really likes him.''

''You got to take Keith for who he is,'' Majerus said. ''He'll be on a team where they share the ball, with shooters who can stretch the defense. The big key here is Antonio McDyess and Michael Sweetney.''

Van Horn will join a very crowded frontcourt and may have to play small forward, where he has had trouble guarding quicker players.

Van Horn shot a career-best 48.2 percent in the regular season with the Sixers, but then shot 38 percent in the playoffs and averaged just 7.8 points in the Eastern Conference semifinals in which the Sixers lost to Detroit.

Philadelphia was looking to surround Iverson with a reliable second scoring option and could find that in Robinson, who led the Hawks in scoring last season with 20.8 points a game. Atlanta received him in a trade with Milwaukee before last season.

Wherever he plays, he will miss the first three games of the season. The N.B.A. suspended Robinson for those games when he was found guilty in May of domestic battery and assault in Chicago.

As part of the deal, the Sixers also traded the rights to forward Randy Holcomb, and a future first-round protected pick and cash, to Atlanta. The 76ers also reacquire their own 2006 second-round pick, which they had traded to Atlanta last year.

Atlanta will have to pay only 20 percent of Brandon's salary ($23.175 million for two years), but the salary could come off the cap in February.

Brandon has not played since February 2002, when he had to have his second operation on his left leg.